Family, and Friends:

THIS WEEK HAS BEEN AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! Aaaahh such a good week. If there was anything bad in this week, I do not remember it because we had two baptisms this past Saturday!! 

Soledad and Gonzalo Ribeiro Gomez got baptized the 25th of May, this past Saturday. It was so awesome! We were super worried leading up to it though. This past Friday we tried turning on our water in our house and we didn’t have any, which we thought was weird. Then, we found out that members in our area didn’t have water either so we started to think something was wrong. Then when we were walking to one of our lessons we got our answer as a river of water was flowing down the street. The water main had broken! Aaaahh. We were just hoping and praying that it could be fixed by the next day because with no water, we would have to move the baptism to another church in Centro, a 30 min bus ride away. 

That Saturday, we went to a members house for lunch and they still didn’t have water so we started calling everyone we could to go and check the church. Just as we were about to start calling people to switch the baptism to another church, we got a call saying the font was being filled. We were so pumped!! 

So we go throughout our day on top of the world. I don’t thing I have ever been so excited for anything in my life!!! So we had an awesome lesson with yessica and we invite her to the baptism and she accepted so off we go. We get to the church at 6 because the baptism starts at 630 and they need to be there at 6 to get ready. We wait for Soledad and Gonzalo. And we wait. 6:15, still not there. 6:25, still not there. 6:30, not there and we are panicking. Everyone is there, even their mom and their older brother, but they weren’t there. We go and say a prayer and at 635, they walk in the door. Aaahhh, such a relief. 

We start the service and our talk’s aren’t there so Elder Kemp gave an awesome talk on baptism and we go to the font for the ordinance. Their older brother, Luis, was baptized a few months ago and he was ordained to the Aaronic priesthood this past Sunday, so he performed the ordinance. I have never seen someone so happy. He is such a stud. He is 21 and is getting ready to go on a mission. 

He baptized Soledad first then Gonzalo. I have never felt the spirit so strong in my entire life, it was truly an amazing experience. I have never felt so happy. The whole family is baptized except for the mom and we are working with her right now. The only thing she needs to do is get married. The ward is so awesome and is going to pay for the whole thing. I cant wait until she is baptized so the family can go to the temple one day and be sealed together for time and all eternity. Aaaahhhhhh!!!! The mission is so awesome.

Earlier this week, we went on splits. I went out with elder Simpson, our district leader. We had a really good day together and found a family of three. Jorge (21), Natalia (20), and their baby. They were super receptive and stoked about the gospel. I am so excited to be able to teach them the gospel. THERE IS NOTHING THAT BRINGS MORE HAPPINESS TO A FAMILY THAN WHEN THEY ARE LIVING THE GOSPEL. It is such a blessing to be able to see that out here. 

Oh! And I gave a baptismal commitment and a date for baptism this week too!! After church yesterday, we had a lesson with yessica in one of the rooms in the church and my comp told me that I would have the opporunity to commit her and he wasn’t going to help me. I was so nervous but she is about as gold as it gets. So at the end of the lesson he just looks at me. I was praying I could just remember how to do everything in Spanish. So i asked her and she said yes! The Spanish just came out and I didn’t feel like I even had to think about it.  She is going to get baptized the 8th of June!!!

This week has been the best week thus far in the mission. I am so grateful I have the opportunity to serve the as an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I am so grateful for the power of the Spirit. I know that missionaries don’t convert anyone, the Spirit does. We cannot do this work without it. 

I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church on the earth today. I know that families can be together for all eternity if they keep the commandments of our Heavenly Father. I know that God hears and answers all of our prayers. Everything we go through in life is all part of the plan He has for us. He knows us all individually. Prayer is such a blessing in life. I know the Book of Mormon is the true word of God, and working with the Bible, we can have the fullness of the gospel. Through the Spirit we can know the truthfulness of all things. 

I love you all. I am so stoked to be a missionary!! 

Elder Staffieri

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